Redeemer
by Incubabe
Summary: UNFINISHED Set after the final episode Spike returns to this world and sets off on a mission to find Buffy and the reason he's back but he finds something completely unexpected instead! Please R&R.
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: Only the plot is mine; most of the characters belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, etc.

Author's Note: Aside from the prologue, this fic is set just over a year after the finale, 'Chosen'. Obviously, the prologue doesn't really set the story or anything but Chapter One will be up really soon… stick with it! ;)

Prologue

Each of them stood in front of the massive crater, the air still thick and cloudy with dust. Their entire world had just changed; everything would be different from now onwards. They had all just witnessed the entirety of Sunnydale crumbling away into the Hellmouth and sealing it forever. Sunnydale; some of them had lived there for their entire lives, some only a few years or months but it was still their home and now it was gone. They were all grieving, they had all lost someone or something in the final battle and now it was time to sit back and think about what had happened and what was going to happen next for all of them.

Buffy stared out at the vast emptiness that had been her home for so long, her heart felt heavy and she fought to ignore the intense pain from the stab wound in her side. It was all gone now, taking Spike down with it. She sighed quietly as she thought back to that look in his eyes as they said their final goodbye, that deep sadness as he refused to believe she loved him. She did love him, maybe not as deeply or as truly or as fully as he loved her but it was there all the same. She wished she could have made him come with her but he was resigned to his fate, looking back she realised that she knew what would happen to him. She knew that one of them had to make a sacrifice and Spike would never have let it be her. She only wished that _she had been able to feel his soul before she left him forever._

Willow looked out over the devastation but could not feel sadness, she tried to feel the loss of Anya and Spike and the young girls she had come to know well but she could not find it. Instead, she was overwhelmed with power and joy. She could feel each and every girl becoming a Slayer, feel their growing power. It was an overpowering feeling, every single Slayer on the planet was rising in her mind and their power was stretching out across the world, tipping the balance. She could feel the Earth already growing into the barren void that had been the Hellmouth; feel its gratitude at the destruction of its evil.

Xander stood beside her, not mourning the loss of Sunnydale but Anya. He still hadn't accepted the fact that she was gone, that she could never come back. A thousand thoughts swimming in his mind; wishing he had never left her at the altar, hoping she knew how he felt at the end. Thinking of the last time they had made love, not from fear or doubt but from the simple desire of wanting to feel her flesh again, taste her skin. Something he could never do now no matter how many times he apologised. She had died saving Andrew's life and the angry part of him wanted to know why she had to die when he was so useless to them, a puppet of evil at the beginning then diminishing to another thorn in their side. The logical side soon took over, celebrated her sacrifice. He smiled sadly as he realised that in her final moments, Anya had finally been a true human.

Dawn looked across the crater to the horizon and secretly cursed Spike for abandoning her. She felt that she had taken him for granted, always assumed he was going to be there for her, even if he couldn't be there for Buffy. She sighed as she realised that he hadn't really abandoned her, she was just feeling selfish because she knew how much she was going to miss him. Spike had made the ultimate sacrifice and hadn't he saved the world for her and everyone else? She just couldn't see a way forward, she couldn't imagine her life without him in it. She didn't want to.

Giles stood with the only family he knew around him and wondered if he could ever apologise to Buffy for not trusting her decisions over Spike, he wondered if he would ever stop feeling so guilty for arranging his murder, particularly now he knew what a large part he would play in the end. He looked across at Buffy and thought about all the other Slayers. With no Council, he and Wesley were the only Watchers left with an army of girls in their charge. It seemed as though his job with Buffy had ended so another could begin.

Faith never thought she could feel so accepted. She was standing amidst the few people she had really hurt and they had admitted her back into the gang with very little tension. She smiled as she thought; it only took the end of the world. She looked back at the bus, smiling at the thought of the promise she had made to Wood; a real date, a real chance. People were talking but nobody was really listening.

"What do you think we should do, Buffy?" asked Willow.

"Yeah, you're not the one and only chosen anymore. Gotta live like a person, how's that feel?" said Faith, looking at Buffy.

"Yeah Buffy," said Dawn. "What _are we gonna do now?"_

Buffy smiled to herself, her life was her own again. Her sacred duty had been passed on to all the others who were destined to receive it; she was no longer alone. She thought about Dawn's question and smiled again as she realised she finally had a choice.


	2. Chapter One

Chapter One

The huge farmhouse looked impressive to the casual passer by, the plant life in the garden was thriving and the windows winked brightly in the mid-morning sunlight. Buffy flicked a stray strand of her long blonde hair from her face and threw the last suitcase haphazardly into the back of the car; she slammed the door shut and locked it. Standing up straight, she looked at the view from the front yard; there were fields for miles in one direction and in the other was a clear view of the urban area on the lake. She was going to miss coming out in the morning just to look at the view she could never have had in California. She glanced down at her watch and sighed before turning on her heel and heading back inside the house, looking up at it as she walked and smiling at the memory of them all wanting to paint it red.

Everyone had already gathered in the vast entrance hall; Faith was leaning casually on Robin's shoulder, Dawn was holding on to Xander's waist as if she would never let go while Willow and Kennedy had both stepped forward to be the first to say their goodbyes to Buffy. She had thought she could get away from the farm without getting upset, she knew that she would see her friends, her family again but there was still something pulling at her and asking her to stay. Kennedy handed Buffy a brown paper bag and smiled childishly, Buffy frowned and peeked inside. Two wrapped sandwiches and some fruit lay in the bottom of the bag; Buffy let out a surprised laugh and pulled Kennedy to her.

"Thanks for lunch," she smiled; Kennedy nodded and accepted Buffy's hug graciously but when she turned back, tears were streaming down Willow's face.

"Do you really have to go?" she sniffed, moving forward and slowly embracing Buffy, pulling her closer. Buffy nodded and closed her eyes tightly, feeling the stinging sensation of her tears but willing them back. She held on to Willow tightly, inhaling the smell of her henna shampoo and feeling lonely already. She pulled back from Willow and looked at the gathered group.

"I'm sorry we're leaving you all but I just think it's time to go. I want Dawn to spend some time with Dad and I want to catch up with everyone in LA," said Buffy, Faith raised a questioning eyebrow and Buffy smiled, knowing instinctively what she meant. "I'll probably see Angel at some point but that's not why I'm going. I just think now's the time for me and Dawn to start over and see what the world's like. And I really want to spend some time with Dad,"

"We know, Buff. Don't worry about it," said Xander, trying to move forward but Dawn was still clinging. It was at times like this that it was hard to see her as seventeen, despite the fact that she now towered over everyone and could look Robin in the eye. Though as far as Xander was concerned, she would always be a little girl. He knew the memories were false but they were a comfort, he would always be her Uncle Xander. Dawn grinned sheepishly and let go, allowing Xander to go to Buffy. She placated herself by joining Willow and Kennedy for more hugs and goodbyes.

"You should get going, you're gonna miss your flight," said Robin, running a hand through Dawn's hair, she looked up at him and smiled.

"Yeah, get outta here, B," said Faith quietly; Buffy leaving was hurting her more than she wanted to admit. "Don't forget to call and write and stuff; if you're not fighting LA nasties that is,"

"I will," whispered Buffy, moving closer and holding Faith. The two slayers stood awkwardly in each other's arms, they had been the only slayers at one point, then enemies and now they were friends. A lot of history lay between the two women but they seemed to leave it all behind them as they said goodbye.

"C'mon Buffy, it's time to go," said Dawn tearfully. Buffy walked towards the door and grabbed her bag from the table, Dawn checked she had her bag with her and looked back at everyone before running out of the door. Buffy fished her car keys from her pocket and held them up for all to see.

"Guess I'm really doing this," she sighed.

Everyone joined her as she walked out to the car; Dawn was bravely trying to fight back the tears as she struggled with her seatbelt. Buffy gave Willow and Xander a final hug and kiss before climbing into the driver's seat and turning the ignition. She looked out at her friends and rolled her window down.

"Xander, you've got the spare keys, right? Don't forget to pick the car up from the airport,"

"It's all arranged, Buff. Just get out of here," he grinned, she nodded and blew them a kiss before speeding away from the farm, the car kicking up dust and mud as it went. They stood together, watching it turn onto the main road and disappear from view. Faith was holding on tightly to Wood's hand, she wasn't going to cry; Buffy had made this place into a home for them all, something that Faith had never known but she couldn't shed a tear over Buffy leaving. She would never forgive herself for such an outpour of emotion. Willow had stopped sobbing but silent tears were still falling down her face, Kennedy placed a comforting hand at the small of her back and smiled. Willow nodded and wiped her face with the back of her hand, it hadn't really helped but she knew Buffy and Dawn would be back at some point. They started to move indoors, leaving Xander alone in the front yard, looking out to where Buffy and Dawn had just disappeared from their lives. His favourite girls were gone, a solitary tears rolled down his cheek but he sniffed it away and turned to follow the others inside.

"Do you think we should tell Giles that she's gone? Maybe he'd want to know what's going on here," said Willow, collapsing onto the sofa in the living room next to Kennedy. She instinctively reached out her hand, entwining fingers with her lover as she spoke.

"Maybe we should leave it for a while, maybe she wants to tell him herself. I mean, he is still her Watcher," said Kennedy.

"Yeah, but he's also Watcher to a whole bunch of Buffys. I think he's probably got bigger things to be thinking about right now,"

"Besides, he'll call on Thursday. He always does," smiled Xander.

"He only does it to check up on us," said Willow, defending Giles and not admitting that she actually looked forward to his Thursday evening phone call. "Plus, all those teenage girls are driving him mad; he needs to hear familiar voices every now and again,"

"Did Wesley give in yet?" asked Robin, still unsure as to who Wesley was but knowing that the 'Slayer School' Giles had intended to set up had depended on him a great deal.

"He did. They found a few other Watchers who were on sabbatical when the Council was destroyed; only three or four though. Nowhere near enough for the amount of girls they've found so far,"

"I'm not surprised Wes went along with it," said Faith, fidgeting in her seat, unable to get comfortable. "All those extra Slayer-types running round LA; they would've been a big thing for Angel's lot as well as us. He could afford to leave them for a while,"

"It's not like he just left them though, he just went to help Giles," said Kennedy, disliking the ides that Wesley would have just given up on one team to join another.

"I know, it was just a figure of speech," said Faith. "Wes is a good Watcher, he was good to me; I was just a bitch back then,"

"Now Faith, don't talk like that," smiled Xander sweetly. "You were a complete bitch,"

"Keep it up Harris and you'll lose the other eye," she laughed, Xander feigned terror and soon everyone joined in with their laughter. It was easy and it kept their minds off Buffy and Dawn and the fact that they now had two empty bedrooms, two empty seats at every meal, two extra hands during a fight.

"It's gonna be really weird without them now, isn't it?" said Willow, breaking the half a minute they had gone without thinking about Buffy and Dawn.

"Yeah, but we can manage without her," said Robin. "We've still got two Slayers left, and this Hellmouth isn't nearly as big as the last one,"

"For now," said Faith ominously. "As soon as the really big evils get a whiff of us camping out here then we'll be swarmin with vamps and nasties,"

"I can't wait," sighed Kennedy, staring dreamily out of the window. Faith nodded in agreement; there was nothing worse for a Slayer than to be pent up in a house with ancient texts and day old coffee when they could be out there in the real world, kicking some ass and feeling great about it.

"I've gotta get to work anyway," said Xander, standing up and checking his pockets for the usual; keys, wallet, cell-phone. "I've already had half the day off; can't set a bad example for the crew,"

"Like you could do anything else," grinned Willow.

"Thank the Lord for the weekend is all I can say," smiled Robin; he had been working as deputy principal at a small school for the past nine months. Xander laughed quietly as he walked out of the farmhouse. Kennedy waved at him through the window and grinned, turning back to face the room.

"I'm glad he got that job; he needed to be back doing something he loves," said Willow, Faith nodded in agreement. It had taken Xander a while to pull himself out of the depression that had set in after the loss of his eye and then Anya. He never thought he would be employed as a builder again with his sight compromised but with his experience; he was signed up as site foreman on the spot. Willow turned to face Kennedy but she was back to staring out of the window, her dreamy gaze had hardened and a frown was set on her face.

"What's up baby?" she asked.

"I don't know… Something weird," she said quietly, looking across to Faith for confirmation. If she had been the only one to feel it then she could write it off as just another weird feeling.

"I know what you mean, it's like something just changed. Like it flipped or something, something big," said Faith, looking up at Robin. He placed a hand on her knee and squeezed gently; his comfort move. He always did it when Faith became agitated about something; it annoyed her because she thought it made her look weak but he did it anyway.

"If it was mystical," he said. "Then Willow would've felt it too,"

"I don't think it is mystical, not like that anyway," said Kennedy, squeezing Willow's hand. "It's something else,"

"Something familiar," said Faith, finishing Kennedy's thoughts for her. Willow looked at both of them, the frown deep-set on her face now; they needed to find out what was happening and whether it was going to be good or bad.

"Maybe you're finally getting some action after all," said Robin, Faith smiled at Kennedy. She hoped it was true; the vamps and demons they had been fighting recently were pathetic in comparison to the Sunnydale batch. She was dying for some good old-fashioned throw-down fights; vamps, demons, she was ready for it. She had been waiting for it.


	3. Chapter Two

Chapter Two

The small village of West Haven had largely been ignored by anyone who didn't live there; it was just a jumble of shops and houses to anyone who had driven through it on their way to Sunnydale. It was so close in distance that many out-of-towners actually mistook it for part of Sunnydale; the penniless slums part of Sunnydale. It had originally looked like a tiny desert holiday camp, filled with dirty children and tired parents but now; it had grown into a town not dissimilar to Sunnydale itself. More buildings had been built, more shops and houses, more roads and walkways, more jobs, more people. There was no disputing what had caused the growth of West Haven; it was the mysterious disappearance of Sunnydale itself.

The giant crater that now stood where the entirety of Sunnydale had stood had become an urban legend in the months since it happened. Visitors from all across America had journeyed to take a look at the spot where an entire town disappeared from existence and with West Haven being the closest town to Sunnydale; there had been a need for more hotels and hostels and campsites. The money pouring into West Haven from the tourists had been a life saver; there were no more dirty children running around in the dust and sand, there were no more tired parents running after them and working to pay the rent.

A large building stood in the middle of town, a tribute to Sunnydale. Inside were small stalls selling t-shirts and mugs bearing the name of the town that vanished as well as information officers and a science section explaining that Sunnydale had been built on an old system of mines and it had only been a matter of time before it crumbled away into the poor foundations it had been built upon. Nobody believed it, they preferred the supernatural and the unexplainable to logical explanations and there were always plenty of stereotypically toothless elderly men sitting on street corners willing to tell anyone who listened that there had never been any mining in this part of California; there was nothing to mine for.

The only building that still stood separate from the new West Haven was the old church; it had never been occupied, there had never been a priest stationed there and so it was abandoned. The new buildings of West Haven were built on the other side of the town and soon the church had been forgotten; only remembered by the children who dared each other to enter it and by teenagers who hid in the shadows, secretly smoking and escaping their parents. It stood empty now, the morning sun blinking on the remaining coloured glass in the windows. Everyone in the town was already up having been woken by the small earthquake that had shaken the windows of their houses early that morning. The inhabitants of West Haven were no stranger to earthquakes; there had been plenty over the years and so they just carried on with their lives.

If any of the children had ventured over to the abandoned church shortly after the earthquake, they would have witnessed a miracle. As the earthquake rattled the windows, a strange light had emanated from the windows and now, lying on the floor of the church was a half-naked man. It was as if he had appeared from nowhere, his short brown hair had traces of bleach running through it and it was in sleepy disarray. He blearily opened his eyes and sat up awkwardly; he breathed in a sharp intake of air and began coughing uncontrollably. His eyes were a blur of confusion and the frown etched on his face only advertised his confusion more, he lifted a hand to his bare chest and placed it over his heart. He inhaled another lungful of air, his mouth open in shock as he looked around the room; he recognised it as a church immediately but didn't have a clue what he was doing there. It was only then that he realised he was lying in a patch of bright sunlight; it was pouring through the glassless windows and bathing the room in light. He jumped up in a panic and ran for the nearest shadowy corner before realising he must have been lying there for a while, he brushed the dust from his black trousers and stepped out tentatively into the sunlight.

"Bloody hell," he whispered, relishing the feeling of the warm sun on his skin. Vague memories stirred within him; memories of sitting in a green park writing poetry, memories of a barn and a beautiful brunette, he brought his hand to his head as he was bombarded with his life. Short snippets of collected memories; blood and screaming, pain and hurt but then feelings of love and acceptance.

He dragged open the heavy wooden doors and stepped out into the sunlight, the town up ahead looked busy but he walked in anyway, ignoring the stares and heading for the main road out. It was then that he spotted the huge building in the centre of town, the name Sunnydale emblazoned across it. He frowned and stepped inside; he didn't understand what had happened for there to be a building dedicated to his town in a completely random place like this. He walked around, glancing at the merchandise and information areas; he walked over and grabbed a free leaflet and flicked through it, stopping at the centre page which featured an aerial photograph of the crater.

"Buffy?" he whispered, dropping the leaflet and running out of the building and down the street. Cars were driving in the direction of Sunnydale while others made their way on foot; he couldn't help his curiosity and joined them. Somehow aching to see what had become of his home with his own eyes, although he still didn't understand how he had made it back.

The entire hole had been cordoned off with police tape and wire but that didn't stop the more adventurous visitor leaning over as far as they could to see how deep it went. He stood there among the people, who, as far as he was concerned, had come to witness death and felt sick, he had to get away from here but he had no idea what he was supposed to do. He didn't know if Buffy and Dawn had survived the destruction of Sunnydale, he didn't understand why he was back and he didn't understand why he was no longer a vampire.

He felt lost; he didn't know if he still had vampire strength or vampire hearing, was he supposed to be a normal human being from now on? He needed to find Buffy; he walked away from the crowd and wandered through the car park, thinking of where he could go. Buffy was the Slayer, she would need to go where the evil was. The only place he could think of was Cleveland, the site of the second Hellmouth; Giles would surely have made her go there. He looked around the empty car park and looked around the cars, checking for any with open windows or unlocked doors. He grinned as he found one with the driver's window rolled all the way down and laughed at the trusting nature of Americans en masse, reaching in he unlocked and opened the door and with a quick pull on the wiring, the ignition had started and he was on his way out of there.

He sped off down the main road hoping he wasn't spotted, he knew he would only have a few hours before the car was reported missing and he would have to get off the road. There was no way he could drive to Ohio in a line of stolen cars; the police would catch up with him eventually. He had to somehow find money for a flight to Ohio or to buy a car; the thought of flying made him smile. It had always been too risky for vampires to fly but he was no longer a vampire; it was too bizarre to comprehend. He could hear his heartbeat in his ears, feel it pumping in his chest, it was a feeling he had forgotten but now it swelled within him, threatening to burst him open. He glanced quickly around the car and spotted a brown leather wallet stuffed into the driver's door; he pulled it out and opened it, trying to keep his hands on the wheel. The signs for the airport were starting to appear, he pulled out what notes he could find. There wasn't enough but he would have to try; he took the turning for the airport.

He parked the car in the arrivals area and began to count the money; there was only fifty four dollars and some loose change; it wasn't enough. He left the car and walked around the huge building to the departures lounge, a number of currency booths and a booth for each airline company lined the wall opposite the check-in area. The room was filled with people, making him nervous, he hadn't been in such a large group for a long time and he felt overwhelmed. He shook his head as if to clear it and walked over to the first desk; the blonde woman smiled hollowly at him, throwing him off for a second.

"I need to get to Ohio on fifty four dollars," he said, amazed at how awkward he felt now he was one of them.

"Wow, you're British," she grinned widely, her personality beaming through. "I've never met a real-life British person before,"

"I really need to get to Cleveland," he said desperately, the girl's smile fell at his brusqueness. He felt guilty; he hadn't meant to be rude; he frowned at his feelings. He had always been ruthless and rude in the past, these changes had gone deep.

"You won't get a flight anywhere for fifty bucks," she said. "Sorry, sir,"

"Never mind," he mumbled, starting to walk away.

"Can you ride a bike?" she called out, he turned around and walked back to her, smiling at her brazen nature. He liked her. "Sorry, I just mean my boyfriend is selling his bike; it's a heap of junk and it'll probably fall apart on you but he'd take fifty,"

"Will it get me to Ohio?" he asked.

"Probably not but what other choice do you have, right?" she smiled, he nodded and she scribbled down her address on a piece of paper, handing it over. "Tell him Kia sent you about the bike,"

"Thanks Kia," he said, folding the piece of paper and stuffing it into his pocket.

"What's your name?" she asked innocently, he paused for a moment. "You do know, right?"

"Yeah, it's Spike," he said, frowning slightly at the confusion he had felt. Was he still Spike or should he now go back to William, now he was one of them?

"Okay, Spike," she said, sounding the word with bite. She liked it, it sounded dangerous and oh-so-British. "Tell him to give you a shirt too," He grinned at her and walked out of the building and back into the sunlight; he sighed, there was no way he was getting to Ohio any time soon. He slipped his coins into a newspaper vendor and pulled one out; 21st September 2004. He had been gone for over a year, he wondered if Buffy had forgotten about him or if she had moved on, gone back to Angel.

A courtesy airport bus trundled up to the entrance and a hive of people disembarked, Spike looked around quickly and jumped on. With a grumble and a start, the bus lurched forwards and started on, back towards West Haven. He dug Kia's note out of his pocket and looked down at the address, sighing deeply. He thought he would have been able to sit back and marvel at the miracle that was his heartbeat, his ability to walk in the sun, the fact that he was here at all. His head was filled with her, Buffy and the Nibblet; he was drowning in her blonde hair. Damn, even seeing the whelp right now would soothe his crippling feeling of being completely alone. He was lost in his thoughts when the bus screeched to a dead stop outside of the Sunnydale building in West Haven; he stepped out and began searching for Clover Street. 


	4. Chapter Three

Chapter Three

Spike wandered around West Haven for a while before deciding to go back inside the Sunnydale building and ask for directions to Kia's home. He thought it was highly amusing that the tourist information offices for West Haven were housed in a building emblazoned with the name of a town that no longer existed. He stepped inside for the second time that day and headed over to the information counter, placing Kia's note on the desk. The elderly women eyed Spike's bare chest with disdain before looking down at the written note.

"I'm looking for this address; I've never been here before," he explained, ignoring her look of distaste.

"Clover Street is two blocks over to the right. The house numbers are quite clear from the sidewalk," she said briskly. "Thank you for stopping by, sir," She turned away from him, busying herself with pretending to file paperwork. Spike grabbed the note and left the building, secretly pleased with himself, he still had the knack for offending people.

Turning right, he began to walk, feeling a little better knowing that he was almost ready to get underway. He turned up Clover Street and began looking for number 29, the odd numbers were on the left hand side of the road but every house looked the same. The gardens were overgrown, the paintwork was chipped, it was clear that Clover Street had been part of the old town. He walked up to the front door of number 29, its green paint peeling around the wooden numbers, it looked deserted but he knocked anyway. It only took a few moments for the door to creak open, the man who opened it looked half asleep; his eyes were bleary and his hair wild and unruly about his head, he hadn't shaved in days and the sunlight made him screw his eyes up.

"Who are you?" he asked, his voice low and gravely as if he needed to cough.

"Kia sent me to ask you about the bike, she said you'd sell it for fifty and give me a shirt," said Spike, the man laughed and moved aside, ushering Spike inside. He followed him through the house into the back yard, an old rusting motorbike sat on the overgrown grass. Spike walked over and inspected it, running his finger along the metal and smiling softly at the memory of riding. With a few tools, he could probably fix it up a little; he had learned a lot about motorcycle maintenance throughout his past, bikes had been his only means of travel at one point. The man mumbled something and disappeared inside the house leaving Spike to crack open the engine cover and take a look inside. It looked workable but it would definitely need a bit of time spent on it; Kia's boyfriend wandered back into the garden carrying a plain black shirt. He threw it at Spike who pulled it on gratefully; walking around with no top on at garnered him a lot of attention in the town.

"So," he yawned. "Kia told you 'bout the bike, huh? She's falling apart a bit but she'd probably get you a fair way outta here,"

"Do you have any tools or anything? Just so I could fiddle with it a bit?" asked Spike, the man nodded and pointed to the open shed. Spike wandered inside and found a toolbox sitting on a bench surrounded by broken electrical equipment.

"My name's Jake by the way," he yawned again, Spike introduced himself and proceeded to attack the engine with a spanner. "You look worse off than us, dude. You sure you can afford her?"

"I got fifty bucks," said Spike, wiping oil off on his trousers. "But that's all I got,"

"Aw man, that sucks," said Jake. "Maybe… maybe I could just give her to you. I mean, I was gonna scrap her anyway so…" Spike frowned at him; he was wandering around the garden now. He turned the ignition and checked the fuel gauge; the tank was still three quarters full, if he didn't have to pay for the bike then he might be able to get to Ohio on fifty dollars. "Kia would probably kill me but you seem like a good man, you probably need it for something important, right?"

"Er… yeah," said Spike, he had come to conclusion that Jake was stoned. There was no way anyone would just give away their motorbike otherwise, no matter how badly in need of work it was. "I need to get to Ohio; I have to meet someone,"

"I knew it, man. I knew you had somewhere to be," laughed Jake, picking up a helmet from the grass and handing it to Spike. "So, Spike, that's a weird name. Is it British or something?"

"Yeah, something like that," he said, continuing to meddle with the engine before replacing the cover and putting the tools back in Jake's box. He climbed on and turned the keys again, revving the engine slightly. She sounded good; a little old but definitely not on her last legs. "Are you sure about this, Jake? I could give you the money,"

"The money's not important, man. It's all about helping your fellow man in need," grinned Jake. "Hey, you like the shirt?"

"Yeah, it's great. Thank you, and tell Kia I said thanks as well," said Spike. "Look, I'm gonna feel bad so would you take five dollars? Anything?"

"Okay, but only five," Spike handed him a five dollar note which he stuffed into his pocket. He walked across the yard and opened the back gates that led out onto the road. "Later Spike,"

Spike shouted out a goodbye as he sped through the gate and down Clover Street, down the high street and out onto the open road. He had forgotten how much he loved riding; the feeling of the wind against his body, the open landscape, the freedom of not being confined to a car. He considered buying a map but he had spent enough time travelling across America to know the way; he was surprised at his memory of the roads. He felt guilty about not paying Jake, he felt as if he had used him and Kia but there was just no way of persuading him although admittedly, he hadn't tried very hard. Besides; it was a seven state journey up ahead and he knew needed the money to get across the country and get to Ohio.

It had been over a fortnight since Kennedy and Faith had shared their Slayer intuition kicking into gear but nothing had happened since; the numbers of vampires and demons had remained constant, there had been no swell of evil. Willow had called Giles shortly afterward to inform him of both Buffy's departure and the Slayers' feelings; he confirmed that a number of the other Slayers had felt odd that morning but he knew no more than they did. Faith had pushed it aside and forgotten about it, she had figured that if it was a big bad then it would have come for them by now but Kennedy was still feeling slightly anxious about it, it had been her first Slayer sense. She had always put up a wall of strength but this had knocked it down, she was off-kilter and it was beginning to affect her fight. Everyone had been worried about her but there was nothing anyone could say, she just kept pushing everyone further away. Willow was worried about her but all they could do was wait and see what the feeling was and if anything was to come out of it.

"Any luck with the coven?" asked Faith as Willow put the telephone down and collapsed onto the sofa. Faith joined her, looking across at her intently waiting for an answer.

"Still nothing," she sighed. "They say they felt the changeover but all they know is it wasn't an earthbound act, it was something more mystical. Even Eleria is clueless and she's like an uber-seer,"

"Well, that's good in a way. If it wasn't an earth thing then it's not the Hellmouth, right?"

"Yeah, I just wish Kennedy would realise that her Slayerness is normal, she's still freaked out. She said it was like someone invading her mind or something. I guess it is her first Slayer sense intuition thingie,"

"It does feel like an invasion but it's just… it's not that bad, she needs to get over it," snapped Faith, brushing her unruly hair back from her face with one hand. "I've never really had it like that before, B was the dream queen round here,"

"Yeah, she did enjoy her premonitions," laughed Willow, thinking back to how often she would have to wake Buffy to stop her screaming. "I guess it's just different from Slayer to Slayer. Anyway, where'd Robin run off to?"

"Shopping," sighed Faith, looking at her fingernails. "We're out of milk and Xander ate the last of the Pop Tarts this morning, I think he's addicted,"

"Everything okay with you two?" asked Willow, Faith leaned back into the sofa, shrugged and sighed softly. She didn't want to think about her love life when they could be discussing work and slaying but she knew Willow wouldn't give it up if she didn't get an answer.

"Fine, really but he's so into the teaching thing and I'm like, so not the school type. It's just getting a bit boring but I don't want it to 'cause that's what always happens. A year's a long time for a girl like me to stay put,"

"But you two are so good together,"

"We were but I just think all that passion and stuff's burnt out. It's like super sexy slayer boy's gone and he's back to being principal guy; it's totally dull. I still got it but he's all about the papers and the books and shit. I'm just bored, I feel like going out and getting a good ol' fashioned screwing,"

"But you wouldn't do that to Robin, right?" said Willow worriedly, Faith shook her head but her mind was elsewhere, giving an entirely different answer. Willow understood Faith's itchy feet when it came to being tied down, Faith had always preferred the night long relationships as opposed to normality and monogamy; it just worked better for her. It suited her personality more than being someone's girlfriend and it was clear to Willow that this past year staying faithful to Robin had been taking their toll on her; she was fighting harder as if she was getting pleasure from it, she was also more argumentative with Robin and always flirting with Xander in front of him as if she was trying to make him jealous, re-ignite the spark between them but it hadn't worked. The knock at the door made them both jump but it was Willow who stood up to answer it; Faith leaned back and moved the curtains aside but she couldn't see to the doorway.

"If that's Robin, slap him for forgetting his keys again," she shouted after Willow, she grinned and nodded before walking into the huge hallway and up to the front door. She unclipped the lock and heaved it open, half expecting to find Robin standing there with his shopping bags and a sheepish, apologetic look on his face but it wasn't what she got.

"Spike?" she said, half choking on the word as the shock of seeing him slapped her in the face. His hair was different, somehow softer and darker and he looked exhausted and gaunt but it was definitely him. She stood looking up at him, soaking up the image of him standing in her doorway, there was just no way that he could be real, no way for him to be there. He looked tired, he looked painfully thin and he looked tanned. It was then that she realised he was actually standing in the sunlight and he wasn't bursting into flames.

"Hey Red,"


	5. Chapter Four

Chapter Four

Faith frowned and strained backwards, trying to look out of the living room window to the doorway but failing miserably. She decided to investigate, her curious nature taking over easily, she stood up and brushed the creases out of her trousers before walking across the room to the huge hallway. Willow was still standing in the doorway but she wasn't speaking and the heavy wooden door was blocking Faith's view of whoever it was rendering Willow mute. She crossed the hall, coming up behind Willow and placing a hand on her shoulder as she came face to face with Spike.

"Oh my God," she exclaimed, looking him up and down trying to ascertain if it really was him. She pushed her loose brown hair from her face and frowned quizzically at him, the confusion and humour evident in her eyes.

"Slayer Number Two, how's it going?" said Spike tiredly, Faith's frown dropped for a second before she began to laugh hysterically. Willow and Spike both looked at her as if she was mad but Faith couldn't help herself, she didn't know if it was shock or amazement that was causing her reaction but she couldn't help but laugh. "Crazy as ever then,"

"How the hell did this happen?" asked Faith, out of breath as her laughter died away. "And why aren't you in flames right now?" Spike shrugged and looked at Willow but she seemed just as shaken and shocked as Faith was.

"Ladies, as much as I would love to stand around all day chatting about this, I'm actually quite knackered. Can I come in?" asked Spike, Willow nodded mutely and moved aside, allowing Spike to enter their farmhouse and look around. Faith peered out of the front door to see an ancient motorbike sitting in their garden, it looked about ready to fall apart and she was pretty sure the engine was actually smoking. She smiled to herself and slammed the door shut, following Willow and Spike through to the kitchen.

"So, how long have you been back?" asked Willow, stuffing a plastic carton of macaroni and cheese into the microwave. Spike had actually requested some food but she had no idea what to cook for him; he hadn't eaten anything real in hundreds of years. Faith wandered in and jumped up onto the kitchen counter, anxious to hear Spike's story and hoping that it ended with some sort of big evil thing following him to Cleveland. She was desperate for some Big Bad to find them out and attack.

"About two weeks," he explained, drinking deeply from a tall glass of water. "I woke up in West Haven and went to see Sunnydale," Willow nodded, her eyes widening at the news. "It's just this huge crater so I figured that Giles would've made Buffy come out here, y'know, second Hellmouth, Slayer duty and all that stuff," Willow nodded, thankful that the microwave was beeping so she didn't have to explain the past year to Spike. "So, where is she?"

"Who? Buffy?" asked Faith, Spike made a face and nodded. "She's gone, left about two weeks ago. She went to LA,"

"To see him," whispered Spike, cursing himself for ever thinking that she could have waited for him.

"No," said Willow defensively. "She went to take Dawn to see her father; they wanted to be with family. Buffy hasn't had the chance to live her life in a very long time, Spike. I think she deserves a bit of freedom, don't you?" Spike nodded but his sadness was evident on his face; she had been the first and only thing he had thought about when he had woken up and now he was here, she was gone.

"You didn't drive here on that clapped out bike I saw in the garden?" asked Faith incredulously, Spike nodded and smiled up at Willow as she placed the freshly microwaved food in front of him. "That is a goddamn miracle, I swear. That bike is about ready to fall apart,"

"I know," said Spike, relishing the taste of the cheese and pasta on his tongue. He had been living on badly cooked burgers on the roadside; it felt good to actually taste something completely different. "I got that in West Haven, drove across seven states on it. I feel kind of attached to her now,"

"Still, if you wanna keep her then you'll have to get her fixed," said Faith knowingly. Spike nodded and continued to eat his meal, Willow eyed them both with an element of disbelief.

"I can't believe that something this huge has happened and you two are talking about motorcycle maintenance," she said, her eyes advertising that she was still in shock over the whole thing. "Buffy said you died, that you were gone. She was devastated and now you're back, just walking and talking and not bursting into flame, what's going on?"

"Well," started Spike, feeling a little guilty for just springing his news on everyone without a thought of their feelings. "I hoped that you and Giles would be able to work that one out. I'll tell you something though; it's weird having a heartbeat again. I never thought I'd feel it again, it's like being given a whole new life, a second chance or something," Faith couldn't help but let out a laugh. Spike looked up at her questioningly, she composed herself and shrugged.

"I'm sorry but William the Bloody waxing lyrical about a new chance at life? It's just sheer comedy," she laughed. "You have to admit it's a little funny. Will, you okay?"

Willow was staring out of the kitchen window to the two figures crossing their large back garden that led out into a small wood. She looked back at Faith and sighed deeply; ushering Faith to take a look for herself. Xander and Kennedy were on their way back from their walk and Willow knew only too well that Xander was not going to like this uninvited guest in their kitchen eating his macaroni and cheese. Spike looked up slightly and shrugged, he didn't really care what Xander had to say about him being here and as for Red's girlfriend; he didn't know her enough not to care.

"Hello campers, what's going on?" asked Xander as he opened the door from the garden into the kitchen and stepped inside. He stopped abruptly causing Kennedy to almost walk into the back of him; instead she quickly sidestepped around him, frowning.

"Xander, what is with you?" she snapped angrily before seeing Spike sitting at the kitchen table. "Oh,"

"What the hell is he doing here? I thought he was dead," said Xander, not really angry but not exactly ecstatic with the thought of Spike being back in their lives.

"I was, now I'm alive and I need you lot to help me work out what the hell happened," said Spike, standing from the table and placing the plate into the washing up bowl. "I'm not a vampire anymore; I'm one of you now. And I need to find out why,"

"When it rains, it pours," sighed Xander, grabbing a bottle of orange juice from the fridge and drinking it all in one big gulp. "Does Robin know he's here? He's not gonna be pleased,"

"He'll do as he's told," snapped Faith, jumping down from the counter-top and wondering why she was being so protective of Spike. If Robin had a problem with him, it was none of her concern but there was something about it all that annoyed her. If Spike really had been given a second chance to live his life then surely Xander and Robin and even she must forget everything that went on before, forget all his past crimes and accept him back with a clean slate.

"Yeah, I'm sure he will," muttered Xander. Kennedy joined Willow in the corner of the kitchen for a brief embrace before turning to the rest of the room.

"So, what's next? Do we call Giles or Eleria or what?" she asked, she knew enough about the old Spike to wonder how he had made it back but she didn't quite understand the feelings of animosity from Xander or why Robin would be upset by his return.

"Wait a minute," said Willow, frowning with thought and sitting at the table. "Didn't you and Faith have that Slayer sense thing about two weeks ago? It was the morning Buffy left, right?" Kennedy nodded quietly, she didn't like to think about her other Slayer powers; she would rather forget that morning had ever happened. "Maybe it was the heralding of Spike's return, maybe it was something connected to the Slayers or the Powers That Be?"

"Maybe," said Faith, nodding as Willow talked, absorbing her way of thinking. They were interrupted by a loud knock at the front door, Faith started to leave the room. "That will be Robin,"

Faith walked through the living room and back into the hallway where less than an hour before, Spike had been waiting for someone to open the door. She was less than thrilled at what Robin's reaction to the news would be but she knew that she had to tell him before he walked into the kitchen and went ballistic. She pulled open the heavy door and there stood Robin, carrying shopping bags and looking sheepish for forgetting his keys yet again.

"Sorry," he grinned, Faith smiled back and ushered him in, closing the door behind them. "I got milk and cherry Pop Tarts and bread and some other stuff," He put the bags down and turned to face her, she smiled as he snaked his arms around her waist and pulled her towards him, bending down to kiss her softly on the mouth. Faith was pleasantly surprised; it had been a while since he openly showed any affection towards her like that. She almost felt a sense of guilt when he let her go, knowing what she had to tell him.

"Look, before we go into the kitchen, I gotta tell you something," she started, he looked at her concernedly. "God, there really is no easy way to say it. Spike showed up this morning; he's human now and we have, like, no idea how it all happened or whatever. He came looking for B but now, he wants us to help him sort out what happened to him," Robin wasn't looking at her but past her, staring at the kitchen door as if willing it to swing open so he could see this thing that murdered his mother. "I know you're gonna be upset about this but he isn't the same guy as before. He's been given a new life and stuff; we gotta give him a chance, okay?"

"Fine, let's go sat hi," scowled Robin, picking up the shopping bags and stalking off in the direction of the kitchen. Faith dug her hands into the pockets of her jeans and sighed, there was no way this was going to go down well. Something was going to give at some point and all hell would break loose; and not the good kind.


	6. Chapter Five

Chapter Five

Neither Xander nor Robin had been particularly happy about Spike staying at the farmhouse but they were outnumbered and neither had a specific reason as to why he shouldn't. Willow had made up a bed in Dawn's old room; it had been strange going in there knowing it wouldn't be filled with her things but she knew that Spike would appreciate being put there. He seemed to be keeping to himself; only speaking to Faith if he spoke at all, Willow reasoned it was due to their similarities. He had only stayed two nights when he had asked Willow if he could speak to Buffy on their telephone, Willow had consented immediately; she was actually surprised he had waited so long to ask her. Maybe he had been worried that he wouldn't be able to handle it, or that he wouldn't have the strength to hear any news about her and Angel, if there was any. She left the number of Buffy's father's house out by the phone and left Spike alone in the living room; moving into the kitchen with Kennedy to talk about what they should do next about Spike's reappearance.

Spike had been ready to hang up after the first ring but after the third, a man's voice answered the phone and Spike nervously asked to speak to Buffy. He considered hanging up when the man he assumed to be Hank Summers left the phone to go and get his daughter but there was no way he could give up now, he had made half the journey, he had to finish it.

"Hello?" she said sweetly. He had missed that lilt to her voice, she always sounded upbeat, even if she had just been beaten down the night before. He almost replaced the receiver but managed to compose himself. "Hello?"

"Hey Buffy," he said slowly. There was silence.

"Who is this?" she asked, her voice dropping low and sounding almost menacing.

"It's Spike," he said, more silence. "Look, I know what you must be thinking but I'm with Willow and Faith and they're trying to work out why I'm back but it really is me. I swear to God,"

"What…? I don't understand," she sighed, the confusion apparent in her voice. "How can you be back? You died, I watched the building collapse on you, you were burning alive. Did you get out or something?"

"No, Buffy," he said softly, wondering how to phrase his next announcement. "I woke up with a heartbeat a fortnight ago; Willow says I'm definitely human now," Buffy was silent; Spike could hear Dawn on the other side asking who it was and how long Buffy was going to be on the phone. He heard her mumble something and there was a crackle of plastic against skin.

"Spike?" said Dawn so loudly that he had to bring the phone away from his ear. "Is that really you? What are you doing back? I've missed you so much, I'm gonna come back to Ohio straight away," There was more crackling as Buffy forcibly removed the phone from Dawn.

"Do you want me to come back, Spike?" asked Buffy. "Do they need more help up there?" Spike ached to say yes, he wanted to beg her to come back to Cleveland, just to see him and see if they could finally be together now that he was the man he had wanted her to see but he couldn't do that to her.

"No, we're doing okay without you. We haven't spoken to Giles yet either so he'll probably have something to say about it all. Look, I just wanted to let you know that I was back and that I was sorry. I mean, I never wanted to leave you, Buffy, it just worked out that way,"

"I know," she whispered, Spike couldn't tell if she was upset or not. She sounded strange over the telephone, her voice growing fainter. "I've got to go, Spike, if you need me then just call, okay? Tell Will I said hi,"

"Okay," he smiled sadly. Buffy replaced the receiver and Spike was left holding a dial-tone to his ear. "I love you," he whispered before putting the phone down. He sighed loudly and stood up, mentally shaking himself off and walking into the kitchen to join Willow and Kennedy.

"Everything okay?" asked Willow, Spike smiled and nodded. Willow was being so good to him and he felt almost guilty at not being able to talk to her, he only felt comfortable with Faith and he knew why. She was the only one there who reminded him of Buffy; he found it odd that despite Xander and Willow knowing her the longest and being closest to her, he couldn't find anything of Buffy within them but Faith emanated it. It was as if they were two halves of the same person; completely different yet somehow identical. He thought that it might have been a Slayer thing but he felt no pull towards Kennedy at all; it was something between Buffy and Faith alone but he had no idea what it was.

"So, what's the deal here?" asked Spike. "Does everyone go patrolling or what? I can't wait to get out there and see what I can remember about fighting,"

"We could go out tonight if you want," smiled Kennedy, Spike nodded thankfully but Willow still looked worried about something. She remained silent though so Spike ignored it. "Do you think you can still do all that cool martial arts stuff you used to do?"

"Guess we'll find out, won't we?" he smiled; speaking to Buffy had somehow removed a large weight from his shoulders. He felt lighter; he was able to speak to her friends without hurting and he realised that he was actually looking forward to the idea of getting back into the game. Buffy had pre-occupied his mind for so long and now he had spoken to her, she had moved aside, letting other things move into her place. He knew it would take a while to come to terms with the fact that in his absence, Buffy has moved on and finally found her place in the world, something she had been searching out for so long and no matter how much he wanted her back, he could never take that away from her.

"I don't think you should strain yourself, Spike," warned Willow quietly, obviously still pondering recent events. "We still don't know what's been going on with you; maybe you should take it easy?"

"I'll be careful, Red," smiled Spike. "Nice to know you care," Willow smiled as he walked out of the room and headed to the front garden to check over his motorbike but Faith had beaten him to it. The engine cover was lying on the ground and she was already stuck in with a spanner. Her blue jeans were covered in oil and her thick hair was tied back in a blue bandana; Spike couldn't help but smile at her. He knew she was getting bored with the lack of demonic activity in Cleveland despite its ideal mystical location but attacking his bike was not what he had expected. He walked out to join her, she barely noticed his presence, she was too busy frowning into the engine. "You know you've got oil all over your jeans?"

"I know, smart-ass," she grinned, throwing the spanner to the ground and pushing a few stray strands of her hair from her face. Spike looked out across the open countryside that surrounded the house; he wondered what Buffy and Dawn were doing right now. Probably off on some shopping trip or lying to their father about fighting a new demon, maybe even popping into the Hyperion Hotel for a little catch-up with old friends. He sighed and looked over at Faith; she had been watching him with a quizzical smile and wiped her hand over her forehead. "You talk to B?"

"How'd you guess?" he said, sitting down on the old wooden bench that sat beneath a huge tree. Faith shrugged and put the engine cover back on the bike before walking over to sit beside him.

"Don't know, just look kinda down, more down than usual," she sighed, Spike nodded. "We'll knock that outta you, get you patrolling and taking a beating. You'll brighten up after a bit of action,"

"Is that your prescription for everything?" he laughed, Faith joined him and nodded. "It feels weird being with all of you but not her. I'm just waiting for her to come walking through the door but I know that she's not. I'm being such a bloody poof about it all," Faith didn't really know what she could say but she placed a hand on Spike's knee; Robin did it to comfort her so maybe it would work on Spike. He seemed to appreciate the gesture and neither of them moved; sitting silently together in the shade thinking about Buffy and how strange it was to be living without her.

Night seemed to fall quickly in Cleveland and soon the whole gang were kitted up and ready to go out into the dark world of vampires and demons and monsters living by the kiss of the moonlight. Spike realised quite early in the evening that his vampire senses had long gone when he saw Faith and Kennedy begin to look at each other; confirming the other's senses as they walked. It stung; he hated feeling so useless – he had no vampire skills, no super-hearing or fast healing or anything; he was just an ordinary man, just like Xander and Robin. He could feel his heart pumping harder in his chest as they entered the graveyard; it was frustrating him and taking away from his sense of sound. All he could hear was the thump-thump of his own heartbeat, pounding in his ears and making him deaf to the world outside.

It seemed his instincts had remained when a vampire jumped out at them and with a deft kick to the leg; he went down leaving Spike free to drive the wooden stake through his chest. He was pleased that his body remembered how to fight and suddenly the night improved. It would appear that Faith was right; a good beating was the best prescription for the moody blues. He was enjoying himself in a way he hadn't for a long time; even before he had left Buffy in the Hellmouth. Robin didn't look too impressed by Spike's abilities and refused to join in the conversation about it on the way home; there was too much about Spike's return that was still unclear. Why was he back? Why was he human now? What was his purpose in the world? Robin knew that the girls, especially Faith, were seeing it as a second chance at life but he was a little more wary – he fully believed that there was a chance Spike was back not for the powers of good but for the powers of evil. He never trusted him in Sunnydale and there was no way he was going to trust him now; back then Buffy had kept him around for no discernible reason but she was gone now and there was nobody here for Spike. There was no reason for him to be with them at all. He knew he would never be able to make Faith see that but he knew that there was at least one person just as suspicious as he was; Xander would be the perfect ally in his distrust of Spike. Maybe the two of them together could make sure that something was done about it.


	7. Chapter Six

Chapter Six

Willow was sitting patiently by the telephone; glancing at her watch every few minutes just to make sure that it wasn't getting too late. She was clearly anxious about something and had been for days but nobody seemed to know what was wrong; she couldn't even tell Kennedy. There was just something troubling her and there was only one person who could possibly help her and now, she was sitting in the living room waiting for that long distance call to connect. Spike had been slightly nervous about Willow telling Giles that he was back but he had decided that it was about time they really found out what was going on. He had been living with them for a fortnight now and they still had no idea what was going on, there had been no spiritual or demonic after-effect of him returning in himself or the world and every day, he was learning more and more about being human again. Willow jumped slightly when the phone rang loudly next to her; whether it was excitement or nerves she couldn't say but all she knew was she had never been so glad that Giles was so regular.

"Hey Giles," she grinned as she picked up the phone, waiting for the slight delay to kick in. "No everything's fine but I need to tell you something… It may be a bit hard to comprehend but Spike's back… No, he's human…" Silence filled the room as Willow waited for Giles to say something, anything at all about their situation. "No, she's still in LA… Well, that's what I was going to ask you or Eleria. Maybe something's going on that we don't know about yet… But how would that be connected to Spike?" Willow's smile suddenly became a frown; she drew her knees up to her chest and sighed softly as Giles relayed the message. Kennedy knew that Willow would want the room to herself so quickly ushered everybody through to the kitchen; they could wait until Giles had finished talking with Willow and wait until she was ready to share the information with them.

"Well, you're sure causing a stir," grinned Faith, jumping up on the kitchen sideboard and looking directly at Spike. He looked decidedly uncomfortable with the idea of Giles knowing something about his return; it meant that something was going to happen. He would've preferred that nobody know anything; that way it really would have been a clean break but now, he knew from the look on Willow's face that Giles did not have good news about Spike as well as something else that was going on. Willow's own words; "How would that be connected to Spike?" Something was coming and the thought that he was somehow involved made him feel sick to his stomach.

"More trouble than its worth," growled Robin and stormed out of the back door, Faith watched him crossing the lawn with a concerned frown etched on her face but she knew running after him would only compound his hatred of Spike and she desperately wanted him to be accepted. Xander glanced at Faith quickly before sitting down at the kitchen table, waiting for Willow to rejoin them and let them all in on the new evil a-brewing. Kennedy was anxiously waiting for the door to swing open but they could still hear Willow talking quietly in the living room.

"Look guys," said Faith loudly, sensing that everyone in the room needed something to be said right now. "We've dealt with a lot of shit in the past few years; I'm sure whatever Giles is telling Will now is nothing new, right?" There were murmurs of agreement. "Seriously, we kick ass on a regular basis so what the hell are we worrying about? You too, Blondie, don't get all mopey 'cause you think the world's all about you," Spike looked up at her shocked, he hadn't even said a word but she had managed to read him all the same.

"I think Willow's coming," said Kennedy, observing the silence from the living room. As if on cue, Willow pushed open the door to the kitchen and entered the room; her normally cheerful disposition was downcast and she seemed paler than usual. Nobody wanted to push her too much but everybody was desperate to know what Giles had said to her. It was Xander who was the first to speak up.

"C'mon Will, we've been waiting for ages. What's going on?" he asked, Willow laughed at his straight-forward, no-nonsense questioning and sat down beside him. Kennedy walked over and placed a comforting hand on her lover's shoulder, Willow reached up and took her hand without looking at her. Sensing something big was coming, even Faith and Spike sat down at the table and waited for Willow; she took a deep breath and began talking.

"Giles didn't know that Spike was back but he seems to think it would make sense. Apparently, Eleria has been seeing some dark times ahead recently, she didn't think anything of it because it seemed so distant but it's almost here," sighed Willow. "Apparently, there is a new vamp coming into town and he's going to try and open the Hellmouth here, nobody knows why but I guess evil doesn't need a reason to be evil, does it?"

"So, we dust the vamp and game over, right?" said Faith, cracking her knuckled and starting to stand.

"No," said Willow. "There's something else going on, he's not just a vampire. Something's happened to him, he's got powers, more than the others have got. Giles thinks that she may have been a sorceress before he was turned,"

"What has that got to do with Spike then?" asked Kennedy, her confusion echoed in everyone else around the table. Willow sighed deeply and looked across at Spike; she looked as if she was in pain. As if she didn't want to let him know, Spike knew something was coming and he had to prepare himself for it.

"This vamp's taken the name Seraph but she used to be known as Morganna King," said Willow, Spike's face drained of colour as Willow spoke. "Spike sired her but she was never accepted into the group by Dru so they abandoned her in Prague, is that right?"

"Yeah," said Spike, his voice coming out as no more than a whisper. "Dru felt threatened by Morganna's powers,"

"Anyway, Eleria is going on a vision-quest now and Giles is calling back when we know what she's seen. That's about it really; Giles said that Seraph is probably one of the most twisted vampires he's ever heard of. She has a penchant for the most brutal attacks ever recorded and she has a very large group of lackeys, she bewitches them into following her,"

"What has this got to do with Spike? I mean, apart from him siring her is there anything else linking them?" asked Kennedy, Willow shook her head.

"So, Morganna doesn't know that I'm alive?" asked Spike.

"How would she know you died in the first place?" asked Faith, a questioning frown causing her face to wrinkle.

"Because all family groups are linked; the children always know when the sires die and the sires always know when they children have been taken," explained Spike, Faith nodded as she took the information on board and looked across at Willow.

"Well, I guess we're waiting on the phone call," she said. "Does this Seraph bitch know Spike's back?" Willow shook her head and sighed again, she looked absolutely drained. Kennedy was trying to be there for her but it was impossible when Willow had set her mind to something.

"I'm going to meditate," she announced, standing up. "Maybe I can lend my power to Eleria or something,"

"Be careful," said Kennedy, the sadness evident in her voice. Willow smiled and nodded before leaving the room. Her silent departure mirrored the silence of everyone else, sitting around looking at each other without a word to say. Faith knew that she had to let Robin know something evil was going down but she couldn't find the energy to leave her seat, something about this one was telling her that it was bad and for the first time in a long time, she was wishing that Buffy was with her, just to assure her that she could handle it.

"So, what now?" asked Spike, his voice highlighting how depressed the news had made him. He hadn't come back for this, he hadn't come back to cause turmoil in the lives of the people he now considered friends. He looked at each of them, Kennedy clearly worrying over Willow, Xander staring out of the window with a faraway look in his eye, Faith picking at her fingernails anxiously. He had caused this, he felt responsible and it made him feel guilty; an emotion he had not dealt well with when his soul was returned to him. An emotion that was no easier to deal with now that he was human.

"I don't know, man," sighed Faith. "I gotta tell Robin what's going down and I guess we should all start preparing and stuff. God knows what Giles and the wonder-witches are gonna drag up on this vamp. I mean, how powerful is she? You knew her,"

"I don't really know, all I remember is that Dru was scared of her," said Spike. "And it took a lot to get that bloody lunatic running scared. She had a lot of juice running through her,"

"Great," said Xander. "A witch and a vamp all rolled into one, could this be any worse?" He stood up from the table and slammed the chair into its usual place. "I'm going back to work; I need to get out of here,"

"I think we all need a little air," said Kennedy. "This has really got Willow upset; it must be pretty bad, right?" Faith nodded as Kennedy followed Xander out leaving her alone with Spike. He was staring out of the kitchen window, his eyes seemingly blank and she wondered what he was thinking about. She realised she hadn't actually asked him what death had been like but figured that being a vamp for a hundred years or so, it was probably nothing new. Spike made her nervous and not in a Slayer way, there was just something about the way he looked at her sometimes, as if he was burning his way right down to her soul. It wasn't something she was used to and it made her feel a little jumpy sometimes.

"You okay?" she asked, jumping back up onto the sideboard. She hated sitting at the table, made her feel like she was back at school or something. Spike just nodded and carried on looking, staring into nothingness. "Look dude, I know this is some heavy shit to lay on you right now but you gotta get over it. There's nothing we can do by sitting around getting all restless, we gotta think up some way of getting this bitch before she gets us, right? And right now, you are the best plan we've got. You know her and you know what she can do, we gotta be able to use that against her," Spike looked across at Faith and smiled, the dark Slayer had adopted Buffy's role as leader with ease. Faith felt flushed; there was something in Spike's smile, in his eyes that made her feel something she hadn't felt for Robin in a long time. There was definitely heat between them but she couldn't get into it, it would be so easy to slip into the trap of shacking up with Spike because he was the newbie but she had to stay focused. He was a means to an end, he would be invaluable in the fight against Seraph and she had to keep business and the real world separated… For now.


End file.
